Former Wildrose Party leader Brian Jean won the United Conservative Party nomination in Fort McMurray-Lac La Biche, defeating engineer and economist Joshua Gogo.
Jean’s candidacy was criticized by Premier Jason Kenney and Gogo had the support of Justice Minister Kaycee Madu, who was reported to have been campaigning with him in Lac La Biche last week.
Reports say that Jean won with 68 per cent of the vote. He represented the area as an MP from 2004 to 2014 and MLA from 2015 to 2018.
Jean left elected office shortly after losing the UCP leadership to Kenney in 2017 (it was later revealed that Kenney’s inner circle backed a kamikaze campaign against Jean), but he never quite left politics. Instead, he opined about provincial politics online and in the pages of Postmedia newspapers, becoming a harsh critic of Kenney’s leadership.
In the summer of 2021 he called on Kenney to step down and warned that the NDP would win the next election if he did not resign.
Jean clearly believes he’s the person who can lead the UCP to win re-election in 2023, and he may have a willing following among the small but vocal group of UCP MLAs who have criticized or called on Kenney to resign.
Kenney said he would respect the wishes of UCP voters in the nomination contest, but failing to defeat Jean is a big blow to a Premier who has been lauded for his skills as a political organizer, and is facing a leadership review in April 2022.
While party leaders typically trumpet the nomination of their party’s candidates, both Kenney’s and the UCP’s normally prolific social media feeds were silent last night.
After announcing his win on social media, Jean said he would soon travel the province, presumably to rally opposition to Kenney ahead of the leadership review.
If he’s allowed to run under the UCP banner, Jean’s convincing win means the UCP candidate in the Fort McMurray-Lac La Biche by-election will also be an openly anti-Kenney candidate.
Mancini congratulates Jean
Alberta NDP candidate Ariana Mancini released a statement congratulating Jean on his nomination.
“I want to congratulate Brian Jean on being nominated as the United Conservative Party candidate in the coming Fort McMurray-Lac La Biche by-election.”
“Mr. Jean has made it clear, even this evening, that he is running because of his rivalry with Jason Kenney. I am running for the people of Fort McMurray and Lac La Biche. UCP MLAs haven’t delivered for our region. I am focused on job creation, improving public healthcare, protecting public education, protecting our community from flood and fire, and ensuring we have reliable EMS.”
Mancini was joined by NDP leader Rachel Notley at a nomination rally held last week in Fort McMurray.
Another former Wildrose Party leader, Paul Hinman, announced he is also running in the by-election, but this time as leader of the separatist Wildrose Independence Party.
I am building a list of candidates running for party nominations ahead of Alberta’s expected 2023 provincial election. If I have missed any candidates on my list, please post a comment below or send me an email at david.cournoyer@gmail.com. Thank you!
2 replies on “He’s back! Brian Jean wins UCP nomination in Fort McMurray-Lac La Biche by-election”
Ms. Mancini can expect “some” surprise donors now, I guess. Mr. Kenny’s only hope for political survival is to defeat Mr. Jean in the by-election. Money will have to flow in mysterious ways and Mr. Kenney has proven himself capable of fighting in the gutter. Ms. Mancini will be the beneficiary while Mr. Kenny and his backers will be the benefactors, with tax receipts in hand.
Dennis, I disagree. An NDP win would be even more devistating to Kenney. The Oil Sands Capital of Canada has been a safe conservative seat for nearly 20 years.
If the NDP win McMurray Lac La Biche, it sends a message Alberta-wide that the UCP are simply unelectable. It would ripple through UCP caucus, and cause many MLAs (especially in YYC) to fear for their jobs and political future.
Kenney is adept at shooting himself in the foot, but not that bad.